


Soft and Tender

by hanorganaas



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Episode Related, Episode: s01e10 The Storm, Episode: s01e11 The Eye, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Schmoop, Tending to Wounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 05:12:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1927899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hanorganaas/pseuds/hanorganaas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John tends to a Nasty Bruise Elizabeth sustained in the final standoff with Kolya.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Soft and Tender

**Author's Note:**

> Orignally for another challenge but I missed the cutoff by an hour so I thought I might as well contribute to the fest.

Elizabeth looked in the mirror as she lifted up her shirt off her head. There is a giant bruise with some cuts and some nail marks in the skin from when Kolya began dragging her out of the gate. She was in total shock at the moment she didn’t realize how tightly he gripped her until Carson did the the exam. She picked up the cream Carson suggested she use and opened the cap.

“Let me help you?” She heard a voice say.

She jumped. Elizabeth was still shaky from the aftershocks of the Genii invasion that any sudden movement was going to frighten her. There was John standing in the doorway. A sympathetic look formed on his face.

“Don’t you knock?” She said scrambling to get her shirt. Not that she cared that he was seeing her practically shirtless. 

“A super version of the ancient Gene remember?” John said taking a few long strides over to her. It wasn’t long till he was standing merely inches away from her. He slowly put her arms down which were up in a defensive position. “You didn’t answer my question….can I help you with that?”

Elizabeth had a funny feeling that John was going to be persistent on asking her if he could tend to her wound, just as he been presistant on making him open up when things went wrong. So slowly she handed him the bottle and he fell to his knees. 

“Fucking bastard,” John mumbled as he put some cream in his hands. Elizabeth looked down at him. “Sorry…..I am just…I won’t let him hurt you again…you know.”

Elizabeth smiled softly. She seemed to read him well. If there was anyone more frightened by the fact she almost died it was John. She had been his life raft since he left Earth to see a galaxy unknown to him. Without her, he would have drown. Had she died…..he would have had no one to understand his needs like she did and his cycle of believing he was a failure would have continued.

“I know,” Elizabeth responded.

Suddenly his large hands, calloused from holding the steering of planes and holding guns, touched her bruise. She gasped. Elizabeth half expected the moment his hands, who just hours ago was stained with blood of over fifty Genii soldiers, made her feel safe.

“You alright?” John asked hands resting her hip. 

“Don’t stop,” Elizabeth said.

John continued to do work his healing magic. Fingers moved in reassuring circles rubbing in the cream into her skin. Elizabeth unconsciously slipped her hand in his hair, moving through the soft locks. When she saw the satisfied grin form on her face, she moved to take her hand away. 

“Sorry,” Elizabeth said.

“Nah it’s fine,” John responded.

Her hand returned. This time her nails scraped gently against his scalp. It was quiet between them. The only words spoken were the sounds of their heavy breathing and the ocean dying down from the storm, with a few gusts of wind in between. For a moment she forgot what happened. She forgot a storm almost destroyed Atlantis. She forgot she was held hostage. She forgot she almost died….there was only...John Sheppard keeping her safe and healing her.

And the way he was with her, so kind and so gentle it made her fall for him…..further.

He blew on her skin a little before….surprisingly….he moved in to place a kiss gently above the bruise. Realizing what he done he rose to his feet.

“Sorry….that was very unprofessional…” John said, “I should go.”

He turned heels to leave but Elizabeth grabbed his wrist.

“Wait,” She said her voice surprisingly frantic, “stay with me tonight…don’t worry about the rules John we’re in a galaxy far away from our own….what does it matter.” Her thumb ran softly over his wrist, his eyes narrowing into slits. “I need to feel safe John after what Kolya did…..and for some reason you do…..so please John…stay.”

John only smiled and took her hand in his own and squeezed it tight.

“Well,” He said, “since you asked nicely…”

Elizabeth on impulse wrapped her arms around him and rested her head against his chest. She felt him tense for a moment, despite deciding to stay, but then he caved. His arms secured her in place. Chin resting at the top of her head. She closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.

It was the only thing telling her, she was alive.


End file.
